Hello dear community,
For those who don't know me, I’m Albert, also known as I Love Cripto on social media. I’m 40 years old and have been a community member since 2020. The first time I watched a Polkadot video, I felt a deep connection and knew I had to be a part of it. Today, I’m still here and very happy with my decision in August 2020. Thanks to Polkadot, I have improved in many aspects of my life, and for that, I am and will be eternally grateful.
The reason for this message is the increasing toxicity I've observed in the community. I’m concerned about the growing negative noise, and that’s why I decided to write this post. This might not be the most appropriate place for it, but I prefer to do it here rather than on the Polkadot Forum, where it could be censored, and certainly not on Twitter. I apologize if this offends anyone.
It's painful to see how Twitter has become a battlefield where the Polkadot community attacks each other. This strategy brings nothing positive to Polkadot or its community. The only beneficiaries are those seeking likes, humorous comments, or those who directly wish harm upon Polkadot. If we add more fuel to the fire, we are heading in the wrong direction. This deeply hurts me, and I have been carrying this for a long time, which is why I decided to express it here today.
Using Twitter to expose the community's airing dirty laundry is a bad strategy. I won't mention names, but if you feel alluded to, this message might be for you. With this attitude, you not only erode the reputation of the person you attack but also that of Polkadot as a whole. We are damaging our image, and no matter how much we spend on marketing or development, if we don't build a healthy community, everything else is pointless. We need to build the house from the ground up.
So if you have a problem, tell the person involved. If you think someone is doing a bad job, show them that you can do it better. It's very easy to criticize, and creating takes much effort. If there's an illicit proposal, vote against it, and if it gets approved, wait to see what they do. If something goes wrong, conduct an audit and present it on the Polkadot Forum or the channels we have, not on Twitter.
My maxim is: if you don't have something positive to say, don't say it. Be constructive, not destructive. Destroying is easy, creating is hard, especially when it comes to reputation.
I can't imagine what other community members, investors, or even our competition think when they see how we destroy each other. If I were an investor or a company, I wouldn't want to build or invest in something with so much noise. In the end, no one wants to invest in a project full of daily dramas, or at least I wouldn't. This unnecessary stress and wear seriously damage Polkadot's reputation.
So I ask myself: Is this the image we want to project? Don't we have better tools to solve our problems? Can we send a DM if we have an issue with someone?
It saddens me to see this situation because my feelings for Polkadot are comparable only to my passion for my football team. If I had one wish, I would like to see a change in attitude within the community. If you see something illicit, contact the person directly and ask. We are all adults, and people understand each other by talking. There are two sides to every coin, and if you try to understand the other person, you’ll see that not everything is bad and their point of view is also valid. Posting on Twitter only spreads the problem instead of calming it.
I can perfectly understand that someone may feel frustrated or disappointed with things that happen in Polkadot because it has happened to me, but the most important thing should be Polkadot, not our ego, anger, frustration, or personal benefit. If Polkadot prospers, we will attract more investors, companies, and developers. This will make the snow ball grow and grow, and we will all be happier and able to continue building and supporting the ecosystem. The growth will be exponential.
Let's be aware of how our actions affect Polkadot.
Let's make an analogy of what we are doing on Twitter: Imagine we all drink water from a lake, but someone defecates in it on the opposite shore. In the end, that person will also drink that water. Does it make sense? Wouldn't it be better to have an exclusive place for our needs without contaminating the water we drink? We all know the answer.
Finally, I would like to see more support on Twitter for the technology and the positive aspects of Polkadot. If we redirected the energy we use to criticize towards building, we would be incredible.
Polkadot has a great future, it is the best blockchain, with brilliant leaders and a talented community, so let's not put obstacles in our way or create unnecessary friction. There will always be bad actors, but the community and the system will remove them.
In short, these are my words to help reduce toxicity in the ecosystem. If I had managed to change the mindset of a few people, it would have been worth it.
P.S.: I’m not an example of anything, nor do I pretend to be. I only seek the common good for everyone, especially for Polkadot. Let everyone draw their conclusions and self-critique what they do, say, and think.
Best regards, and have a great summer.
I Love Cripto
Threshold